Western Realco of Newport Beach says its $10-million project on the 10-acre Commerce Center site will accommodate multi-tenant industrial users of 13,000 sf to 19,000 sf.

Gary Edwards, vice president of Western Realco, says ground-breaking is expected this month for the two buildings at 895 S. Rockefeller Ave. and 4505 E. Wall St., just off Jurupa Avenue at Interstate 15. Vance Mape, president of Western Realco, tells GlobeSt.com the company expects to complete construction in the fall.

While the firm has done well by building for larger users, Edwards says, Western Realco believes the multi-tenant market for smaller users with dock-high distribution needs "is now the strongest sector of the market."

According to Mape, the market has slowed somewhat for the mammoth warehouses common in this area and there's less land available to build them. The demand for smaller spaces has remained steady. He says "the demand was always here," but not much space has been built to meet that demand because builders were pursuing the larger projects.

"We're already seeing some inquiries to our broker, and we really didn't expect that for this kind of project," Mape says. "Usually, the tenants want to see the completed building first."

The new Western Realco project will be called Rockefeller Commerce Center. It has been designed by Bastien & Associates of Irvine, with Oltmans Construction Co. of Whittier as the general contractor. Jim Panting of Commercial Realty Advisors in Newport Beach is the listing agent for the new project. Key features of the concrete tilt-up structures will include dock-high loading, 28-foot minimum clearance, ample office space and generous parking.